Twitter

Where to Stream:

Bunheads

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone.

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: June 11, 2012

PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED ON THIS DATE: Bunheads, “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1) [Watch on Amazon Instant Video.]

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: Gilmore Girls has been having quite the revival since it began streaming on Netflix last year. It turned the ATX Television Festival into a veritable fan convention, with viewers and journalists melting into the same nostalgic puddle in the presence of the stars of the show gathered on the same stage (minus Edward Herrmann, may he rest). The nostalgia is deserved, of course, and creator Amy Sherman-Palladino should be lauded for having created a show that still resonates so strong.

However, I’m here to make sure that another of Sherman-Palladino’s beloved series does not go forgotten in this era of Stars Hollow’s Streaming Valhalla. No, not The Return of Jezebel James (may she rest); I’m talking of course about Bunheads. Starring Sutton Foster and Gilmore‘s Kelly Bishop, Bunheads told the tale of a down-on-her-luck Broadway dancer who comes to a quaint small town (it’s in California this time) and quite unexpectedly finds family and purpose.

While not breaking any ground in terms of premise, Bunheads thrived creatively on Foster’s deep reserves of charm, Sherman-Palladino’s gift for hyperactive but melodious dialogue, and in particular the breathtakingly lovely dance scenes featuring its central quartet of ballet students (Kaitlyn Jenkins, Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey Buntain, and Emma Dumont), as well as some incredibly talented minor characters (the So You Think You Can Dance fan in me never got tired of seeing Jeanine Mason and Kent Boyd do their thing). This was a club that no other show had in their bag, and it made Bunheads a uniquely lovely TV experience, while it lasted.

Like many wonderful television shows, Bunheads was beloved by a loyal band of fans who were not nearly big enough in number to sustain the show. Even for ABC Family, the ratings were miniscule, and the show’s second season was likely a miracle occurrence for which we should all be grateful.

[You can watch the Bunheads pilot on Amazon Instant Video.]

Joe Reid (@joereid) is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. You can find him leaving flowers for Mrs. Landingham at the corner of 18th and Potomac.

Like what you see? Follow Decider on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation, and sign up for our email newsletters to be the first to know about streaming movies and TV news!